Mobile computing devices such as laptop computers, portable digital assistants (PDAs), etc. are commonly used in business to increase worker productivity, increase communications capabilities and generally increase overall worker efficiency. These same types of devices are also used by many people for personal use such as to download information from the Internet. Importantly, these mobile computing devices are powered on batteries, which are recharged by A/C adapter power supplies.
Mobile computing devices are known to be manufactured with different power requirements, even though they may be the same type of device. For example, laptop computers of different models may have different power requirements, depending on the manufacturer's specifications. Even with laptops that have the same power requirements, it is not uncommon for different tips (adapters) to be required for devices manufactured by the same or different manufacturers. This all leads to confusion by the consumer/user and, in many instances, leads the consumer to use the internal power source, e.g., battery, of the device.
Thus, it is not uncommon to use the internal power source, e.g., battery, of the device, whether it is for business or personal use. However, batteries in mobile computing devices have limited capacity (time) and have to be recharged periodically or they will power down unexpectedly which, in turn, can lead to loss of information. To recharge the battery, it is necessary for the user to travel with the A/C power adapter and accompanying cables (e.g., the brick). However, there are often times where someone forgets to bring their A/C power adapter, or they do bring it, but it is not working properly. In such a case, the person can only use the device until the battery runs out or, if fortunate, the user can find someone else that has the same A/C power adapter to borrow. In an attempt to save power, some people use the power management settings within their computers in an attempt to lower power consumption of their device in order to extend battery life.
In many settings such as, for example, in conference room environments (where several mobile computing devices will be found), there is limited resources for borrowing an A/C power adapter from someone, assuming that the user can even find someone with the same type of A/C power adapter which is needed for a particular device. For example, in such settings, there is usually a near 1 to 1 ratio of A/C power adapter to mobile computing devices. In these instances, people often share their power adapter with others keeping each computing device running, but never at a full charge. Additionally, there may not be enough A/C outlets for the number of mobile computing devices to plug in and charge, further compounding this problem. Although some people are known to travel with a power strip, this only adds addition weight to their baggage.